In the field of machine tooling, blank workpieces are tooled into various objects having particular specifications by rotating the workpiece against a forming tool. Typically, the blank workpiece is held in place by a sleeve or collet which is rotated at high speeds. One or more forming tools are brought into contact with the rotating workpiece to form the tooled object. If more than one forming tool is utilized, they may simultaneously contact the workpiece being tooled or may sequentially contact the workpiece using, for example, a multi-spindle chucking machine. The multi-spindle machine is indexed through a multi-stage process during which different portions of the object are tooled at each stage in the sequence.
Each of the plurality of forming tools in a multi-spindle tooling machine must be precisely adjusted to provide for tooled objects which have dimensions that fall within acceptable tolerances. Typically, each of the forming tools is manually adjusted and the dimensions of the resulting tooled object are measured. This manual adjustment of the forming tool continues until the resulting tooled object falls within the prescribed specifications. The objects which are tooled to dimensions outside of the acceptable tolerances during this manual adjustment period are scrapped.
Because of slight variances in the dimensions of corresponding locations of forming tools on different tooling machines, and even between corresponding locations on different spindles of the same tooling machine, the positions of the manually adjusted forming tools may not be interchanged throughout the system without compromising the accuracy of the tooling operation. A forming tool which is precisely adjusted for a particular location within the tooling operation may not be correctly adjusted for another location in the operation at which an identical forming operation takes place. The adjustments made to each forming tool are considered reliable only for that location at which they are made. Accordingly, every time that a new tooling operation is required, each of the forming tools must again be manually adjusted for the new operation, resulting in additional scrap material. Manual readjustment may even be required if the spindle tooling machine is shut down after operating for an extended period of time, due to thermal expansion and contraction of the tooling machine itself.
The forming tools in these types of tooling operations typically have a finite operational lifetime during which acceptable performance of the tool is insured. If the forming tool should continue to be used in forming operations after its operational lifetime has elapsed, the resulting tooled objects may not be within the required specifications, resulting in tooled objects which must be scrapped. Thereafter, the replacement tool requires initial manual adjustment before it can form objects within acceptable tolerances. This required manual adjustment results in further unacceptable material.
Multi-spindle tooling machines are typically provided with a plurality of indexing stations. Each of these indexing stations may include more than one forming tool. Accordingly, each multi-spindle tooling machine has associated with it a significant number of forming tools, each of which must be precisely adjusted to properly form the tooled object within acceptable tolerances. If a particular tooling operation includes several multi-spindle tooling machines, the task of manually adjusting each of the forming tools in the tooling operation during an initial operation, in response to a new tooling operation, and during forming tool replacement, may result in a significant amount of scrap material. Moreover, the time required for the manual adjustment of each of the forming tools in the tooling operation may significantly reduce the output of the operation.
Accordingly, present methods of adjusting forming tools in tooling operations utilizing multi-spindle tooling machines result in considerable amounts of scrapped material as well as excessive downtime. Thus, there is a need for improved methods of adjusting such forming tools so as to increase the efficiency of these types of operations and to reduce the amount of resultant scrap material produced by the operation. The present invention addresses this need.